Masquerade
by taigaki
Summary: Kazuki's personal life is on the rocks because of his job, but that is only the beginning of his troubles. He will soon learn what it truly means to be a Suzubishi. KazukiXKeita at first.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **The Gakuen Heaven franchise and all its characters belong to SPRAY.

**Author's Note:** Unfortunately, I have not read the Gakuen Heaven Manga nor have I played the game. My story is based strictly off the short anime, so please forgive the freedom with which I write. Also, I like to use a bit of Japanese in my stories; however, I'm not Japanese so please forgive any misspellings along that line. Don't worry, it's not much and it should be words all of you recognise.

**Masquerade**

A tall, stoic man made his way through a wide corridor toward a pair of heavy wooden doors. His eyes were expressionless and his steps were unhurried and steady. In his hands, he held a letter.

At the entrance, he knocked twice and then entered. Inside, the room was dimly lit making the statues lining the far side of the wall look alive and sinister. Ancient swords and katanas hung along the back and expensive paintings covered spacious white walls, forced to be displayed without splendor in the darkness; the owner collected for his pleasure, not for decoration.

Unperturbed by the cold ambiance, the tall man silently made his way over to a figure standing behind an ornate 19th century French mahogany desk studying a newly acquired Jackson Pollack. Without a word, the messenger presented the envelope with his head bowed. When the item was lifted from his care, he took his leave without a word. Alone, the other viewed the contents of the envelope.

A smile appeared, shining in the dark.

* * *

A reddish blur sped past a group of upper-classmen leaning against the science building, startling them from their after-school loiter after another ordinary day at Bell Liberty Academy. Soon after, a high-pitched wail screeched its displeasure across the once peaceful school grounds, its owner tearing through the path, punching his fists into the air.

"Damnit, Endo! Give me back my bike! My livelihood! You can't keep doing this!" Shunsuke cried, dashing after the bike thief who was gradually growing smaller in the distance.

The blond tossed a quick glance back over his shoulders. "Sorry, Shunsuke, I'll make it up to you later," he yelled as he pedaled with all his might. He was late for his dinner date with Keita since his board meeting over the newly proposed plans for school renovations went overtime.

Alas, being the chairman of the school was a bother sometimes, especially when trying to spend some quality time with the one he loved. Even though Keita quietly assured him that he understood every time, Kazuki could tell it still hurt the younger boy, and he felt bad about it. Like this dinner date for which he was already over an hour late. Although he did manage to slip in a covert text message for the possible delay, making his best friend wait that long for food was criminal.

He shifted his weight forward and lifted his hips slightly off the seat to give himself more speed as the cafeteria came into view, the sight of it giving him more incentive. He was getting pretty good at riding this thing, he thought to himself in passing amusement. Shunsuke just might find himself some competition.

The brakes gave a loud squeal in front of the double glass doors as the blond came to a stop, shoving the bike up against the wall, concerns for Shunsuke's bike secondary to his worry for his friend. Heck, he could buy the guy a new bike. The young chairman rushed into the dining area, huffing in exhaustion as he scanned the room for the familiar redhead. He was prepared to beg forgiveness and a second chance…or was it fifth? Or seventeenth?

Crap, who was he kidding? If he were in Keita's shoes…he did not want to finish that train of thought.

A thin line appeared between his brows as his eyes failed to capture the slight form of younger boy in the near empty room. Since it was after nine—curfew was ten—very few ate at this time. A couple of sophomores cast curious glances at him and he realized he must've been a sight, but he didn't care.

When the meticulous scrutiny gave no indication he would find his young date, an unpleasant heaviness settled in Kazuki's chest. Keita was gone. Once again, he, Endo Kazuki, had played the villain.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Looking around, he grabbed the nearest chair, sinking into it as his body began to wind down off the last little bit of adrenaline he had worked up in his haste to get here. His stomach growled out nasty accusations of its neglect, but Kazuki ignored it having just lost his appetite.

Just what had he expected? Perhaps an angry Keita waiting with his arms crossed and feet tapping? No, he knew that was just wishful thinking on his part. After all, being an hour late was ridiculous. Deep down he had already known, but like a fool, he had tried to fight against his own common sense, a losing battle no matter how you slice it.

Pulling out his cell phone, he stared at it. No messages. Not even a "don't bother coming, I'm leaving." That didn't bode well.

His teeth captured his lower lip. Maybe he was overreacting. Keita had always been understanding, more than was expected of anyone. Although it was getting old, he should just call the redhead and apologize. Again.

"Endo-kun."

Kazuki's thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice and he looked up to see the dark-haired dorm leader walking over to him. Great. He hoped he wasn't about to get another lecture on staying out past curfew or something to that effect. "Shinomiya-san. Konbanwa." The upper-classman nodded at him, stopping next to the table where the blond freshman sat.

"If you're looking for Ito-kun, he left a little while ago." Kazuki blinked at him and then nodded, letting his eyes drift toward the floor. "Aa. I know."

"If I ran into you, I was to let you know that it's okay."

Kazuki winced, unable to face the archery captain. "He said that?" Shinomiya nodded.

"He said he was going to turn in early since he's got an early day tomorrow." He narrowed his eyes at the fair-haired junior classman, who looked as if he had been punched in the gut. "Is everything alright?"

The blond stood up suddenly, making the other take a surprised step back. "Excuse me, Shinomiya-san, I just remembered I have to be somewhere. Goodnight." He took off towards the cafeteria entrance leaving the dorm leader to watch his harried departure with narrowed eyes.

"Don't break curfew," he called out after him, muttering under his breath as he left to make his rounds for the night.

* * *

Kazuki stared at Keita's door. Funny, that door never looked so huge before.

Calm down, he berated himself. You're being asinine. Shinomiya's words kept playing in his mind. _He told me to tell you that it's okay. _Hearing Keita's words coming from someone else's mouth made him feel low. The guilt he felt doubled in weight over his shoulders. He wasn't sure how he was going to make up for these constant slip-ups, but he would receive any punishment he was dealt and take it like a man. If Keita told him to get down on all fours and bark, he would do it.

Lifting a shaky hand to knock, he paused. But what if Keita was already asleep? His hand lowered slightly. If the younger boy really did have an early morning tomorrow, then Kazuki shouldn't bother him. Perhaps he should wait until the morning. He groaned in disgust at his obvious stalling.

Then again, leaving something unresolved at the end of the day wasn't the blond chairman's thing. Who's to say he won't make it worse by waiting? Maybe Keita was waiting to see if he would come. Maybe it was a test. He lowered his hand back to his side and closed his eyes.

Pathetic.

"Yo," a deep voice murmured near his ear. Jerking in surprise, Kazuki nearly landed against the door, which would've solved his indecision right then and there, but a strong grip on his arm steadied him. Heart racing and embarrassed at being caught looking like an idiot, he turned to find himself staring up into the smirking face of the student council president, aka The King, Niwa Tetsuya. Oh crap.

"O-o-sama," he stammered.

Niwa raised a brow. "Careful now. You're in your own little world there, Chairman-sama."

Kazuki winced. "Please, Oo-sama. Don't call me that." He straightened up and tried to pull his arm free from the other's grasp but to no avail. The grip was like a steel chain.

"Oh? Does it bother you? Surely you can't expect me to call you Endo-kun now that I know the truth. That would be downright disrespectful of me, don't you think?" With a feral grin the tall brunet pulled said chairman towards him while leaning into the shorter man, radiating an aura of self-confidence and power beyond anything the smaller blond could ever hope to attain, no matter how much he wished it. It sure would've come in handy in some of his business dealings.

Kazuki gave a nervous laugh and tried to pull back as much as he could, which wasn't much. "I just don't want anyone else to know." Dark blue eyes held violet eyes prisoner and Kazuki felt the force of the gaze drilling into him, making him leak guts. The King was definitely a terrifying man.

"You like playing these games, do you? A big rush to the head, pretending to fear me when you know you have the power to squash me like a bug." The brunet's tone became ominous and sent a shudder through the blond. No. The fear was real. Very real.

"Oo-sama, that's not—"

"Did you enjoy making me run around like a good little dog? Laughing at me after I've done your bidding?"

"No, I didn't—"

"I think it's time we finished our conversation from before."

Kazuki blinked in confusion. "Conversation?"

"Aa. The one that starts with me punching you in the face." The grin from earlier was nowhere to be seen, and the tall brunet fisted his free hand, towering way past the other's comfort zone. Kazuki's eyes widened as he realized he was about to be pummeled. All rational thought flew miles from his brain, and his body automatically went into survival mode which sadly, in this case, meant groveling.

The blond put his hands up against Niwa's chest, giving a pitiful but firm push. He shut his eyes, unable to meet the blazing gaze of the other.

"Oo-sama, please, I'm sorry for the deception, but I had to do it. It was not my intention to make a fool out of anybody, and I never laughed at you behind your back. Please believe me. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry," he pleaded for him to understand. He wanted to come out of this exchange minus a black eye if possible. Trying to explain how he got that at the next board meeting might be awkward, that is, assuming he survived in the first place.

There was no reply from the brunet. Kazuki opened his eyes cautiously. Those intense blue eyes were no longer on him. They were staring down at the hands splayed against his chest. The blond quickly pulled his hands back as if they were touching hot metal and stepped away, this time successful in escaping. "Ah, sorry," he cried and planted his fists against his sides, adopting the look of a child getting ready for a punishment.

A small chuckle broke the uneasy mood. "Oi, Endo, are you really afraid of me?"

Kazuki stared at the amused man. Was this a trick question?

"Well, considering you could easily kill someone like me, shouldn't I be?"

"No. For one, you're the chairman of my school so I shouldn't kill you, and two, I don't kill people just for lying to me." Kazuki considered that while inching back some more, just to be safe.

"Yes, but you were going to punch me."

"Punch, yes. Kill, no."

"Believe me, Oo-sama, your punch would probably kill me."

Niwa blinked gave a small laugh at the statement. "You've never been punched in your life, have you?" Very much amused, the tall brunet closed the distance between them again. Kazuki flinched. "Don't worry. My urge to punch you has passed." At that, the blond breathed a sigh of relief. "However." His relief was cut short.

"I've still many questions to ask of you, Endo." The soft statement was accompanied by an unspoken challenge for the other to make an objection, but the young chairman just nodded.

"I understand." He owed the King many times over for all his help, whether directly or indirectly. Bell Liberty wouldn't be what it was today if it wasn't for this person.

"Good. I will also refrain from calling you by your title since you're so adamant about wanting to be known as a boring little freshman. I, on the other hand, prefer to be called Oo-sama."

Kazuki smiled. "Of course, Oo-sama." Niwa grunted his approval. "Now then, are you gonna knock on that door or what?"

Kazuki's smile faded. "What? Oh, I…I'm not sure." Giving a sigh, the brunet lifted his own fist against Keita's door.

"You want me to do it for you?"

"Ah, no! Wait a minute, I don't—he might be sleeping. I don't want to wake him."

The King looked at his watch. "It's only nine-forty."

"I know but he has an early day tomorrow and he said he was going to turn in early and…" he trailed off at the look the King was giving him.

"Endo."

"Hai?"

"Shut up and listen for a moment." Kazuki wasn't dumb enough to object. "I don't know what's going on between you and Keita and I don't know why you look like a kid who just wet the bed, but stop sweating the small stuff. You're both men for god's sakes. Stop acting like a couple of pussies and be clear about what you want. Trust me, it'll be less of a headache in the end." He lowered his hand from the door and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm gonna turn in before Shinomiya catches me with his creepy radar. Anyway, think about what I said. We'll have a nice long chat regarding our own agreement later. Maybe over a couple of drinks on you." He winked. "Ja."

The tall brunet turned on his heels to leave for his own room leaving Kazuki speechless and staring after him. King Niwa Tetsuya certainly didn't mince words. However, what he said had merit. The blond thought about his situation and felt a slow smile come to his lips. The King was right. The key to a successful relationship, besides keeping your promises, was good, clear communication. That had to come first before any second-guessing, and if one were lucky, it would eliminate the need to second-guess in the first place.

Feeling renewed determination, he faced Keita's door, raised his hand and knocked twice.

* * *

To be continued. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Heaven and all its characters belong to SPRAY.

* * *

The First Annual BL Academy Winter Festival preparations were in full swing. The hallways of each building, normally clean and spartan, were festooned with banners and flyers signaling the countdown to the upcoming event. Inside the gymnasium, a fat orange cat scampered along down the length of the basketball court with a bright green ribbon in his mouth that trailed after him in an emerald shimmer.

"Ah, Tonosama! Give me back that ribbon," cried a very young-looking biology teacher, running after the feline in dismay. The furry mischief maker despite his considerable weight was surprisingly quick, and catching him when he was at his most mischievous was pretty much impossible. A blond senior, who was standing on a ladder putting decorations up above a door, shook his head at the scene.

"You should give up on that ribbon, Umino-sensei, it's never coming back," Naruse Yukihiko called after the instructor. The blond tennis captain was one of many volunteering his time after classes to aid the handicrafts group in the aesthetics portion of the festival. After all, even though he wasn't artistically inclined, he liked to think of himself as a man who appreciated beauty. That and he liked having a legitimate reason not to study, a justification many others shared.

"Umino-sensei's always chasing that damn cat. Guess that's why he's so young and fit," Shunsuke Taki said from below, trying to unravel a massive tangle of Christmas lights. 

"Is that so?" Naruse fingered his chin. "Maybe I should get a cat." 

"You can't. They don't allow pets in the dorms."

"But sensei lives in the dorms, too."

"Maybe it's fine 'cause he's an instructor."

"That isn't fair." The blond tennis champ jumped down from the ladder and plopped onto a nearby chair. "The rules should be the same for everyone. And I want to become younger and fitter." His tone was starting to become whiny.

Shunsuke scowled, partly at the upper-classman and partly at the uncooperative mess in his hands. "You can't get younger once you're older. Besides, you're fit enough, ain't ya?"

"While it's true that I am in great shape, I need a cat to become as strong as Umino sensei."

"That's what weight liftin's for."

"I don't want to get bulky, that'll ruin my look."

"Argh, the hell with this!" Shunsuke threw the lights, which were still in a tight wad, in the direction of the blond who caught it easily. With a huff, the redhead sat down in a chair as well, defeated. Naruse blinked a couple of times and then shrugged.

"Oh well, I guess it's all for the best. The king wouldn't have forgiven me for bringing in a second one," he mused.

Shunsuke's frown turned into a grin. "Yeah, he'd definitely have your head on a platter. What's with the king and cats anyway?"

Naruse started plucking at the lights Shunsuke abandoned. "Probably allergies. I heard they give him hives or something."

"No way, really? I heard someone say somethin' about a childhood accident in a shower, but no one knows the details." Naruse smirked and leaned over furtively.

"Maybe a cat mistook something for a little mouse."

Shunsuke stifled a laugh and turned red. He glanced around warily before whispering to the blond. "You shouldn't say things like that, senpai."

"Don't worry, there's no one around."

"No one but me," a voice answered near them. The guilty duo yelped and jumped off their chairs in surprise. They looked over to see Ito Keita smiling at them. The change in Naruse was instant.

"Honey!" He dropped the lights and launched himself onto the newcomer who blushed a rosy pink. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You don't want to give me a heart attack now, do you?"

"You shouldn't call him that, senpai. Keita is Endo's honey," Shunsuke scolded, still clutching at his heart after the scare. Naruse just responded with a pout and a firm squeeze to the smaller boy in his arms, unaware of the sudden stiffening of the latter at Shunsuke's words.

"No. Honey will always be my honey. I will never give up," the older blond cried.

"Naruse-san." Keita smiled weakly and looked lost. Shunsuke decided to help his fellow classmate and started pulling the blond senior off his victim, a near impossible feat, much like trying to retrieve the ribbon from Tonosama.

"C'mon, senpai, let the poor guy breathe," he said, straining with the effort. With a sound of lament, the blond reluctantly released Keita who rubbed at his arms. 

"Thanks, Shunsuke." Keita looked up at the tennis captain. "Naruse-san, I don't think you realize your own strength."

Naruse brightened. "Really? Am I strong?"

Shunsuke rolled his eyes. He went to stand between the other two to keep them separated and addressed the other freshman. "So, you helping with the decorations too, Keita?"

Keita nodded, grabbing the discarded lights. "The handicrafts members are running around all over the place. They're working really hard for the festival, so I want to help as much as I can." He pulled at a particular spot in the tangle and the lights unraveled like a ball of yarn. The other two stared in amazement.

Shunsuke decided to stick to the banners and grabbed one out of a box. Naruse followed his example while looking at Keita thoughtfully.

"Speaking of handicrafts members, where is your significant other? Isn't this the section he's in charge of?"

An unreadable expression crossed Keita's face for a split second and disappeared before Naruse could comment. The redhead smiled. "He's busy with something else right now." With that he went to hang up the lights, calling Shunsuke over to help. 

The blond watched the two redheads working together. A frown lined his smooth forehead, evidence of a thinking man. He may not be a master of reading people, but he'd be blind not to notice that his honey's smile was forced.

Were Keita and Kazuki having relationship problems? The blond tennis champ was confused to find that thought bothered him. He should've been the first to dance a jig, but seeing the young redhead unhappy made him feel strangely restless. When he first met Keita, he thought the new transfer student was the cutest thing on the planet, not only because of the way he looked with his messy hair and big blue eyes, but also because of his innocent and happy personality. His laughter was contagious and attractive, but recently, Naruse noticed it appearing less often as if something were weighing heavily with the younger boy.

If Endo Kazuki was making his honey unhappy, then the blond freshman was going to find himself with a furious blond senior at his doorstep. How dare he take away an angel's smile.

"Hey, senpai, a little help here."

Naruse was roused from his musings. Shunsuke and Keita were fighting a losing battle with the ever-problematic lights, getting themselves caught up in the winding cords. 

Well whatever the problem, he was going to investigate further. For now, he'd feign ignorance.

"I'm coming, honey!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The chairman sat at his desk looking over the latest proposals given to him by the board and tried his best to concentrate on them. His job had gotten busier ever since he released the vice chairman from his position a few months back, and finding a competent replacement was proving to be a time-consuming and delicate process. Until the position was filled, he would have to pick up the slack, but it was taking its toll on him since he had to juggle twice as fast and step twice as light. After flipping through a couple more pages, he gave up and stood from his chair to gaze out the window of his office on the top floor of the administrative building.

Fall flew by fleetingly this year and the foliage all over the island which had been ablaze with a wide spectrum of warm colors were dwindling down into a mellow neutral. Fallen leaves blew across the courtyard like mini tumbleweeds scurrying toward their secret destinations as November neared its end. It was a brisk sunny day with patches of fluffy clouds tumbling across the horizon, keeping to their designated course as they traveled the world.

Crossing his arms across his chest, Kazuki watched his students walking across the campus from building to building, some holding armfuls of colorful papers and banners. Despite the weariness, a small smile made its way to his lips as he thought of all the excitement that had been stirred up because of the upcoming festival.

It was the first one of its kind, a new movement established earlier in the year by the current chairman who got the idea for it while sitting around with his club members as a fellow student listening to the president of their club complain dramatically that their handicrafts club was being underestimated.

"Those drama club divas think we exist for their sake!" he had declared, slamming a fist onto the table.

"It can't be helped, taichou. All the other clubs view us that way," someone else responded.

"That is unacceptable. Something has to be done to show everyone just how important the handicrafts club is. Where would they all be if we weren't here to pretty them up?"

One thing led to another after that. Afterwards, someone suggested sending the chairman an email proposing a show and tell program for the clubs as a way of encouraging good relations. The following week, a familiar blue teddy bear assembled the entire student body in the gymnasium to announce the First Annual BL Academy Winter Festival which would take place during the winter break at the end of December.

The plushie had gone all out. Food vendors would be invited to open up stands filled with hot snacks and treats, and game vendors would likewise vie for a good spot. Several ponds would be frozen over for ice skating, and they would hold snowmen building contests as well as ice sculpting contests. A large part of the island would be utilized making it the largest setting for a festival of its kind. 

At the heart of the festival, the individual clubs of the school would get their opportunity to shine. BL Academy was famous for their distinguished clubs: there was tennis, swimming, archery, track, soccer, basketball, ping pong, fencing, drama, various martial arts, and among the less physical, art, music, math, biology, chemistry, tea, astronomy, shogi, calligraphy, French literature, and handicrafts. Each would have their own exhibit for showing, sharing, and even for some local fundraising. It was also an excellent way to promote their clubs for future prospective students.

The event made the papers and even claimed a continual segment in the news. It wasn't long before it became the talk of the town. The famous all-boy academy was isolated and private; to get a chance to visit the school grounds openly was a chance of a lifetime, and the anticipation was high both for those inside of the school as well as outside. 

A few members of the Board of Directors expressed initial concerns regarding the security and logistics of such a large endeavor, but when the chairman assured them that additional security would be hired both for securing the privacy of the school during the event as well as for the peace of mind of the guests, and that anything running over the budget would be covered by his own pockets, most of the reservations lifted. For the most part, the majority of the board was just as eager for the fete. Even the members who had once rallied under the late vice chairman eventually warmed up to the young chairman after the former's resignation, due to the latter's genuine character and competence. Most of them now viewed him with respect and trust and the result was that meetings ran smoother and with less discord. For that Kazuki was thankful.

Down in the courtyard a group of soccer players, decked out in their uniforms, dashed over towards the soccer field. Training and practice time. Another group of students were sitting under the shade of a large sakura tree, snapping fingers and swaying to and fro. The music club. Another pair of students lugging large backpacks were dashing across the courtyard with stacks of books in their arms. Slackers late to class.

Kazuki shook his head. Often, he wondered what it would have been like if he had been an average kid in an average family with somewhat of a freedom to choose what he wanted to do with his life. To not be a Suzubishi. Thoughts along these lines weren't uncommon but these days found him pondering until his head hurt.

What he wouldn't give to just be Endo Kazuki, the unremarkable and somewhat mysterious freshman going about his normal life with the rest of the bunch. With a sigh, he gave in to his persistent thoughts and reflected upon what happened last night after he finally developed the guts to knock on the door.

Keita had not been asleep, nor had he been as angry as Kazuki expected. As usual, he had been understanding and forgiving. But that had not prepared the young chairman for what the younger boy had been planning to say to him that night.

_"I think maybe we should re-think our relationship."_

_Kazuki nearly stopped breathing. "W-what you do mean?"_

_Keita bit his lip and forced himself to look into the other's eyes. "I've been thinking about us and what we mean to each other. I care about you, Kazuki. Too much to let our very different lives drive a wedge between us. You're the big brother I never had, literally, and I'm glad we found each other again, but…" His large eyes widened as he watched the other's fill with pain at what he was hearing. Being the naturally compassionate person that he was, tears gathered in the younger boy's eyes, but he continued in a rush. "But I think my love for you is only as a brother and a friend. I'm sorry, Kazu-nii."_

Kazu-nii. That was the undeniable truth that stood between them. Thinking back, Kazuki never really meant to fall in love with Keita. Sure, he loved the little boy of his memories and had always felt a close kinship with him despite their unrelated blood, but even he acknowledged that the love was purely platonic at the time, and fulfilling the promise the two had made in their childhood was the only thing that had driven him for many years.

So, when did those feelings change? And why? Were his hormones warping his understanding of his affections? After all, he didn't have a long list of love conquests like some people on this campus whom he wouldn't name—_okay, so he was still a virgin_—so it's possible this was just a shameful case of repressed libido.

He groaned and rubbed at a throb just above his right eye. Whatever it was, overanalyzing his actions now wasn't going to change the fact that Keita had made his decision. The problem was, should Kazuki accept that decision as final? If he let this go without a fight, would he live to regret it? Did he want to risk pushing his own desires on the other boy only to drive him further away? Even if he could change Keita's mind, it was a moot point if he always made Keita unhappy, so was this the only way to improve their relationship?

His mental tug-o-war was cut short by a beep on his intercom. Grateful for the interruption, he moved away from the window and pushed the flashing button on his phone. "Yes, Ishizuka, what is it?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but it looks like Morita-san will be arriving earlier than scheduled for the interview. Should I have him wait?"

"No, Ishizuka, early is fine. Please let me know as soon as he arrives."

"Yes, sir."

When the intercom clicked off, Kazuki forced himself to sit back down at his desk and focus on work. Now was not the time to contemplate his personal problems. He should try to get through the new budget proposals before his meeting. Thumbing through the pages, he picked up where he left off and started reading, absently biting the end of his favorite pen. His dilemma regarding Keita would have to wait. As always, his work demanded precedence.

* * *

To be continued. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Heaven and all its characters belong to SPRAY.**

* * *

An impressive stack of papers hid the king from view as he rested his head against his cool, hard desktop.

He'd been going through those damn forms for what seemed like hours. Paperwork was definitely not his thing. The work he did kept him on his toes on a normal basis, but during the festival preparation, it seemed to double in quantity. If he had known this was what was waiting for him as president, he would've kept his big mouth shut during the elections.

Maybe he should've asked for a secretary. With a groan, he lifted his head and glared at the pile of papers looming in front of him before shifting his glare toward his vice president.

"Glaring at us won't make us go away," Nakajima Hideaki stated without taking his eyes off his computer screen. His fingers were a blur as he typed away, probably butting heads with the treasury again.

Niwa narrowed his eyes. How the hell did the man sense these things?

"I'm not glaring at you."

"Yes, you are. And stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting!" Hide didn't respond as he continued his finger marathon. Niwa watched him curiously. The man was a machine and watching him work made the king feel exhausted. It was like watching one scene in a movie looped over and over again. A man sitting at a computer. A man typing away at the computer. Forever. The end.

Not that Hide was a workaholic by any means. Sure, he was a hard worker and a real slave driver, but even he knew how to quit for some fun and relaxation. Even if his idea of fun sometimes involved some form of sadism. Hide seemed to get off on others' discomfort.

When he wasn't in a sadistic mood, the vice president would head over to his favorite jazz bar out in town. Niwa had accompanied him a couple of times, but the brunet found that the mellow mood provided by the smooth music wasn't quite compatible with his taste. It just wasn't physical enough. When the king wasn't sparring, he was a clubbing kind of man. The sweat and energy released from dancing was the only way to blow the stress of one's days away. Of course, meeting some lovely ladies was an additional perk.

Today would be a good day to ride into town, if he could convince Hide.

"Hey, Hide, how about taking a break?"

"You just had a break."

"A bathroom break isn't a break."

"We're behind on our work because of the festival plans. You should try to finish them before we leave."

Niwa glanced at the mountain before him and winced. "How about giving me a hand, ol' buddy?"

"I've already finished my part. That's your portion of the work."

Those fingers didn't pause once in its typing, but that didn't deter Niwa. He was used to these little exchanges with his vice president, and although it was tough winning against Hide, the king himself was at his best when trying to escape paperwork. Niwa sat up in his chair and stretched his arms over his head, yawning loudly.

"You're something else, Hide. I don't know many people as impressive as you. I bet you can do these things in your sleep."

"You can butter me up all you want, but you're still not getting out of it."

Niwa lowered his arms and tried a different approach. "You've been having too much fun over there, my friend. Don't you know how much time's flown by?" The only clock in the room was on his desk and Hide didn't own a watch.

"It's only been twenty-three minutes."

That was unexpected. "What? Are you counting time now?"

"I don't have to." The vice president finally stopped typing and swiveled around in his chair. He was holding something in his hand. Niwa stared at it.

It was a tiny blue teddy bear. Just like the chairman's bear but a lot smaller. And was that a small clock in its belly?

"What the hell?" Niwa raised his eyes to the bespectacled face suspiciously. A smiling Nakajima Hideaki holding a teddy bear was not to be trusted.

"Just a little gift from the chairman. I want you to meet…Paperwork Teddy."

Niwa felt a twitch in his eye.

"It's actually quite practical. Not only does it come with a little clock, but…" Hide reached up and pinched the right ear of the bear.

_"Get back to work, you lazy bum!"_ cried the high-pitched and surprisingly loud little voice. Nakajima smirked, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "It's programmable." He pinned the bear onto his jacket and turned back to his computer. Niwa just stared, dumbstruck. A gift? From the chairman?

Wait a minute. "I'm gonna squash that thing," the brunet declared, coming out of his daze and pointing a finger. "Then I'm gonna find that damn chairman and tell him I changed my mind about not killing him and then squash him, too."

"Oh, he has no idea what I'm using it for so it's not his fault. I told him he owed me for not leaking his little secret."

"Hide, you're blackmailing our chairman?"

_"Paperwork rocks my socks!"_ The fact that the dumb bear had no socks was obviously beside the point.

Hide chuckled and Niwa scowled thunderously.

"Oh, you think this is fu—"

Paperwork Teddy wasn't finished. As it began singing an ear-piercing anthem about the joys of paperwork, Niwa rose from his chair. As he stalked over to the other, who stood up as well, the latter put up a hand.

"The bear is a loaner. If you destroy this little guy, it's coming out of our budget."

"Do I care?"

"Two hundred thirty thousand yen."

"What! This little toy?"

"This _little toy_ is high tech, and the clock is solid gold. Plus, it shoots lasers from its eyes."

Niwa stared in disbelief at the little animal who had thankfully, for all their sakes, stopped singing. Though he was skeptical of the little bear's worth, and the part about the lasers, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Cursing, he refrained from stomping on the accursed thing. As the blue-haired vice president sat back down at his station, something occurred to the brunet. "Hide, did you sing that song into him?" The other didn't reply and started typing away once again. Niwa threw a smirk at the man's back and made his way back to his desk, scheming of ways to snatch Hide's new toy. But the smirk soon fell off his face.

"_Get back to work, you lazy bum!"_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kazuki's eyes watered as he yawned, causing the words on the curriculum report to blur. He looked at his watch. Nine-forty. Once again, work occupied him to the point of missing dinner. Well at least this time he didn't have to worry about making Keita wait on him.

His face fell. Thinking about the redhead made him feel depressed all over again. For the last few hours, he was given reprieve through work. Now that he was finished, he could feel the weight of reality bore down on him again.

_I wonder what Keita's doing right now? _He hadn't seen or spoken to the younger boy since last night and, truthfully, he still wasn't sure what he should do. And that was a bad trait for someone in his position.

He gave a small laugh at the irony of his situation. Suzubishi Kazuki was definitely a worrywart. It must've come from his mother's side of the family. Keita used to tease him about his over-protectiveness, declaring him a mother hen or worse, his grandma. The current young chairman of BL was of a much different cut than his predecessors, and Kazuki often wondered if he was the right man for the job.

But he had no choice. It was the late chairman's wish for him to take over leadership and lead Suzubishi into greater heights and prosperity. The elder died trusting in his young grandson's abilities to surpass the former in his glory. Why the late patriarch believed in him so, the young blond guessed he'd never know.

Kazuki's father passed away when Kazuki was four, and his mother remarried a year later at his grandfather's bidding. Yasuda Kano was a man very much like the Suzubishis and was currently the VP of operations at headquarters. He handled much of the daily enforcement of the company with an iron fist similar to the predecessor he replaced. While Kazuki was CEO in name, his current position as chairman of the school kept him from stepping up to the front lines as an active head of the conglomerate. As a result, he relied on his stepfather to handle the company as an interim CEO which worked out well for everyone.

Kazuki hoped he didn't let his grandfather and the rest of the family down, but he was constantly reminded of how painfully wimpy—for lack of a better word—he was compared to the former leaders and even his stepfather. Not that he was a coward by any means, but he had received more traits from the Endo side of the family. He was very much like his mother: quiet, compassionate, obliging, charitable, and a worrywart. Not like the dominating, tenacious, unyielding Suzubishis.

The king's words suddenly came back to him. _You're men. Be clear about what you want. Don't sweat the small stuff._ It was similar to the words that had been drilled into him during his youth as he was molded step by step to fill his predestined shoes. _You're a Suzubishi. You must be firm and unyielding. You must always exude an image of strength and infallibility._

Now that he thought of it, the king would've made a perfect Suzubishi. The man was definitely firm and unyielding in his ideas and beliefs. He was strong, courageous, charismatic, and clever. Very rarely did he have enemies, mainly because he had a way of charming everyone but also because he could scare the living crap out of them. Oh yes, Niwa Tetsuya was a real shoo-in for a Suzubishi.

Kazuki sighed and shut down his laptop. His stomach rumbled in complaint and the sound was loud in his spacious office. He rubbed at his flat belly.

"Okay, okay. Let's see if we can grab a little something from the cafeteria before it closes." He went to retrieve his student uniform out of his closet. His disguise.

He supposed he didn't have to insist on continuing this charade, but he had to admit he liked pretending to be Endo Kazuki, unremarkable freshman. It was exhilarating in a way, like being a spy. It also gave him a unique student's perspective on the happenings of Bell Liberty which, in his opinion, gave him an edge in knowing what was going on at his school. An edge, much to his satisfaction, that his predecessors didn't have.

Making a quick change in his bathroom, Kazuki pulled out his cell phone from his jacket pocket. He wondered if he should send Keita a little message. He didn't want to give the impression that he was avoiding the other, even if that was what he was doing, albeit unintentionally. Although he was still unsure how to proceed from here on out, one thing was certain. He still cared for Keita.

As soon as he started punching in a short greeting, he was interrupted by a knock on his door. Kazuki looked up with a start. Ishizuka left hours ago. Who could that be at this time of night?

"Yes?"

"It's us. We thought you might still be here."

Saionji Kaoru and Shichijo Omi, the two students from treasury who worked under the current chairman as undercover security operatives, poked their heads into the office. Although Kazuki released them from their obligation to him weeks ago, they decided to continue working for him which the chairman appreciated greatly.

"Sorry to bother you this late, but we came across something we thought you should see," Kaoru said, looking as elegant and as flawless as ever even at this hour. Kazuki envied him that power. The man was a god. Or maybe goddess. The rose-haired bishounen was considered the queen of the school after all. Omi's smiling face nodded once to the chairman as he followed Kaoru's lead.

Kazuki put his phone away. He knew anything these two found suspicious was worth his undivided attention. "What is it?"

Kaoru handed him a printout. The blond took it and together, they sat down on the edge of his desk. Omi perched himself on the arm of a chair. They had long since forgone formalities. "Omi was going through the weekly server check when he noticed this from the main server." Kaoru pointed at something on the page. Kazuki narrowed his eyes.

"This is…"

Kaoru nodded. "Whoever it was took care to be invisible. As you can see, this was no ordinary job."

"But, it should be near impossible to get so far into the security grid."

"It is impossible," Kazuki looked up at Omi who decided to speak up, "for anyone outside the grid."

There was a brief silence as the implication set in. "In other words, this originated from inside." The chairman looked up to meet two very serious pairs of eyes. It was similar to what they had found when the security was breached a while back by none other than the former school nurse, only this went further beyond that level. Kazuki wasn't going to ask the two students if they were sure about the accuracy of this report; he knew them well enough to know they wouldn't have brought it to his attention unless they were absolutely sure. They had his complete trust.

But apparently, someone else under him didn't.

"Have you figured out the motivation?"

"Not yet, but from what we've seen so far, it doesn't look like anything was stolen."

Kazuki pondered in silence for a moment, absently chewing on a fingernail. "I take it you're on this." The two students nodded. "Keep me informed of any new development. Also, be on the lookout for more blips on the grid, especially the higher levels. If a breach was made to this degree, we shouldn't take any chances. And check the prior weeks."

"And the levels for which we don't have clearance?" Omi inquired. Kazuki stared at them for a long time.

"The password is K8-LAZULI16. That should give you access to levels 2 and 3. I'll personally check anything above that."

The two students nodded and turned to leave the office after bidding good night. Kaoru paused at the door after Omi walked through it.

"Is everything all right between you and Ito-kun?" he asked as an afterthought.

Kazuki looked startled, then he sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but you don't have a very good poker-face, and neither does he."

"We've just hit a rough patch, but it'll smooth over soon enough."

"I hope so. When the two of you are in a slump you affect many others." Giving a small bow, the queen made his graceful exit.

Kazuki remained in his office to consider the comment. It was true that Keita's feelings had the power to influence others, but he had to wonder if Saionji-san wasn't exaggerating about his own. He was just average, unremarkable freshman Endo Kazuki, and he knew he didn't stand out. Without Keita by his side, his power to influence was probably zilch.

He looked back down at the treasury's report which felt very heavy in his hands. Things had been quite peaceful and quiet since the vice chairman's resignation, but it looked like the calm was over. He tried easing his mind with a deep breath and released it slowly. Hopefully, this wouldn't turn into another MVP battle. Luck didn't seem to be on his side much these days.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was severely after curfew when a bone-weary chairman made it back to his room in the dorms. After his conference with the treasury, he stayed behind to make some inquiries on the security breach, with the results being somewhat elusive. That implied that the infiltrator was no novice and that things were going to get troublesome. After almost two hours, he gave up for the night. It made him miss his chance to grab some food and his stomach was now dead silent, passed the point of feeling anymore, a sensation he was starting to get used to.

Sagging against his door, he nearly crooned in happiness at the prospect of a warm bed and plush pillow, but he didn't go in just yet; his attention was drawn to the door next to his.

The blond hadn't seen or spoken to the redhead since the previous night when the former walked through that very door and found himself unexpectedly dumped, and a series of circumstances as well as his cowardice prevented him from calling all day. Eyeing the door, he grappled with the knowledge that Keita was just on the other side and the almost palpable awareness of his friend's proximity nearly overwhelmed his senses. It was funny how a person could be so close yet be so far at the same time.

_Keita, how are you doing? Are you affected by this as much as I am, or are you moving on just fine? _

On an impulse, Kazuki pulled out his cell phone. His brow rose in surprise when he saw he had a message. He had turned it off after the treasury guys left so that he could work uninterrupted. Flipping it open, his eyes widened.

The message was from Keita. It was left about an hour ago, and it was very short, very sweet.

_Oyasumi, Kazu-nii._

Keita…

Kazuki's mouth went dry and the phone slipped from his hand onto the carpet. Suddenly, a fierce longing pulled at his chest and the blond found himself moving toward the other door like a parched man searching for an oasis.

Keita...

He wanted so badly to see him, to hold Keita tight and beg him to reconsider, to give them another chance. He recalled the king's words vividly, to be clear about what he wanted. He recalled his tutor's words, to be firm and assertive. All he had to do was knock and go after it. Tell Keita he was making a big mistake.

But as he stood before the younger boy's door, he found himself frozen, unable to take that step. Because in the end, what he really wanted wasn't any of those things. It was becoming clear to him now, after seeing that little message.

Laying his forehead against the cool barricade and closing his eyes, Kazuki reached up and tenderly ran his fingers down the smooth wooden surface, picturing Keita's face, a happy smiling face that he hadn't seen in some time.

What he really wanted was to see that face again.

"I'm so sorry, Keita," he whispered against the door. "It looks like I can't do it. I can't chase after you, because I want you to be happy and I want to see your smile again, so…starting tomorrow, I'll do my best to be the big brother from your memories and bring back your smile. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. I won't fail you again, I promise."

His hand fisted against the door. "I love you."

"Oyasumi."

* * *

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Heaven and all its characters belong to SPRAY.**

* * *

The next morning fresh coffee, English-style eggs benedict, steaming potato bites, and fluffy pancakes greeted the early risers. The outstanding quality of the food at BL Academy's modest cafeteria was enough to make five-star restaurants twitch with envy. If anything was worth waking up early for in this school, it was the food.

But this morning Keita sat picking at the covetous breakfast, his mind far away. Unknown to him, he was the focus of several persons' attention.

Naruse Yukihiko was sitting with a few of his tennis buddies across the room, studying the redhead. "Hey, Naruse, aren't you going to go flirt with him?" one of his friends asked, popping a potato in his mouth.

"Yeah, seems like he needs a little cheerin' up," another said. "Poor kid looks like his dog died."

Naruse ignored them and continued to watch his preoccupied honey. Something was definitely wrong with the younger boy and the atmosphere around him felt heavy. That was the only thing keeping the blond from pouncing on the redhead like he normally did, as if doing so would cause him to intrude on a very private moment. Others may argue, but he had some degree of sensitivity to these things.

Besides, he wanted to observe a bit more. He would wait for the right time to make his appearance.

Next to the tennis team's table, a pair of dark-haired twins were watching their blond senpai. "Naruse-senpai isn't acting like his usual self, don't you think, Kakeru?" one of them commented.

"Aa. Not like his usual self at all, Wataru," the other replied.

"Come to think of it, neither is that Ito."

"Aa. He seems kind of depressed."

"Looking at him is kind of making me depressed, Kakeru."

"It's making me depressed, too, Wataru."

With a simultaneous sigh, the Ozawa twins lowered their chins onto their table and resumed their superfluous observation.

Across the ways at another table, Shinomiya Koji sipped his coffee, observing the lone freshman out of the corner of his eye. Iwai Takuto, the reticent artist, noticed his companion's distraction.

"Keita seems unhappy," he offered quietly, saying aloud what was on both their minds. Shinomiya nodded, placing his cup down and focusing on the artist's concerned face.

"Indeed, when Ito gets upset he affects everyone around him. I wonder if something happened with Endo."

"I was wondering the same thing. No one seems to have a more profound effect on Keita than Endo-kun. Should we go say something?"

"We should probably ask Endo—" Shinomiya stopped as something caught his eye.

"What's wrong, Koji?" the shy man inquired, following his gaze.

The subject of their discussion was standing at the entrance.

Kazuki didn't feel human as he dragged himself into the cafeteria. Last night, he had nightmares of a boogeyman bearing a striking resemblance to the previous vice-chairman. This morning he woke up and found his bed sheets dislodged and bunched up underneath him, confirming a night of fitful tossing and turning. The rich aroma of food, its purpose to entice instead turned his stomach and he began to question his decision to come to breakfast at all.

_Maybe a glass of juice would be okay_, he thought as he clutched his middle with a grimace. He scanned the room to find it more crowded than usual which was typical of an "eggs benedict morning." It was a particular favorite of the students. Unaware of the stir he was causing in more than one table, his eyes came to rest on Keita sitting at their regular one.

Staring at the redhead, who was currently in his own little world destroying a well-made breakfast with his fork, Kazuki felt a surge of warmth well up deep inside him. The sight of the boy acted as an elixir for his wretchedness, which was pretty funny considering said boy was the reason for it in the first place.

The distance between them seemed annoyingly long as he made his way over to the table he had shared with his friend for several months now. He, like Keita, was oblivious of his surroundings and even if an earthquake were to hit right at that moment he probably wouldn't notice.

When Kazuki came within a few feet of him, Keita ceased his mini demolition and looked up. The younger boy's trademark expressive face was unreadable as he regarded the older in silence. The silence grew as the two stared at each other, trying to figure out what to say.

At length, Kazuki gave a small smile.

"Ohayo, Keita."

"Kazuki…" Emotion finally settled into the redhead's countenance. "You look terrible." He looked like he was about to cry from the assessment.

Ouch.

Kazuki quickly made to reassure the younger boy. "I'm fine, Keita. I had a late night and didn't get much sleep." He ran a careless hand though his hair and then took a seat across from the other, who had taken to staring down at the mess on his plate.

"I'm sorry, Kazuki. It's all my fault."

"No, Keita, don't apologize. Let's not apologize anymore and just…go from here. God knows I've done enough apologizing to last us a lifetime."

Keita looked up at him with big round eyes. Then giving a small chuckle, he started poking at his food again. "You know, you're right. I haven't heard you say much beyond those two words in weeks."

"I must've sounded like a broken record."

Keita shook his head. "Well, it's like you said, what's done is done and we should just go from here." There was a pause and the younger boy hesitated, gathering his thoughts. "When I didn't see you all day yesterday, I thought you were mad at me and that maybe you never wanted to see me again."

The blond shook his head vehemently. "No, Keita, that's not true. I wanted to see you very much. It's just…I guess I'm just a coward." His gaze bore into the other's. "I still care about you, Keita. That will never change even if everything else does. And I made a promise, remember? To devote my life to you."

"But Kazuki, that kind of promise…if we're not together…" Keita trailed off, pulling his eyes away from the blond's face, troubled. Kazuki took a deep breath and reached over to grasp the other's hand gently.

"I can do it as an older brother, can't I?" he asked softly, in part asking for permission.

The redhead went still at his words. Then Keita slowly lifted his eyes to meet his as if trying to ascertain the blond's intentions. Kazuki just responded with a hopeful smile. It seemed to confirm something for the younger boy because his face soon opened up and brightened.

"Kazuki," Keita breathed. Tears flooded the large blue eyes and spilled down over his cheeks. Well, it wasn't quite the smile Kazuki was hoping for but it was a start.

The blond reached over, intending to wipe the moisture away, but he froze when he noticed Keita's watery eyes widen in alarm at the sight of something behind him. Frowning, Kazuki turned to see what was the matter but before he had a chance to see anything, pain exploded and he was sent flying off his chair from what felt like a battering ram to his face.

He thought he heard someone yell his name as he was airborne, but his world went spinning as he crashed face-down onto the cold hard floor, the wind knocked out of him. For a few seconds, he couldn't move. Never had he felt such pain in all his sheltered life and it took all his strength not to black out. The scalpel wound he had once received from his former mentor had been less shocking. He literally saw stars.

Struggling to catch his breath, he pushed himself up on one arm, trying to regain his senses. He tasted blood and hoped he didn't just lose some teeth. Despite his disorientation, he came to notice someone calling his name next to him. "Kazuki, Kazuki!" It was Keita. The younger boy was frantic, clutching at the blond's jacket. "Kazuki!"

"Keita," he rasped, pulling himself up on all fours with a wince. What in the world just happened?

"I won't let you hurt him anymore, Endo," someone declared from his right. Kazuki looked over and was shocked to see Naruse Yukihiko being held back by Shinomiya and a few members of the tennis club, a rare look of anger lining his normally carefree face. Iwai Takuto was standing a little off to the side looking faint.

It looked like the punch had taken its toll on the puncher as well, as he was cradling his right hand with his left, but it didn't stop the man from saying what he had to say to the stunned freshman. "I may have stood by as you waltzed right in and took my honey from me, but don't think I'm going to do the same as you kill his sweet spirit. How dare you, Endo! How dare you make him cry."

Kazuki flinched at the accusatory words. He had heard similar words in his own mind many times. Somehow, hearing them from the mouth of another drove it home for him. They cut through him like a knife.

His mind worked overtime trying to right itself after the unexpected attack, but one thing came through perfectly clear: he had hurt Keita and others had noticed. He shouldn't be surprised. A lot of people liked the cheerful young redhead and took prodigious good care of him, especially the tennis captain. Not that Kazuki could've seen something like this coming but now that it's happened, he felt that it was justified. Naruse-san's punch hurt, but the truth of his words hurt even worse.

Suddenly, all Kazuki's past mistakes and slip-ups forced themselves to the forefront of his mind, overwhelming him. If that was how it was, then he deserved this and he would accept any punishment he was dealt. Sagging back down onto the floor, he lowered his head and relinquished his will to defend himself.

But others were coming to his defense in his stead. "Naruse-san, please stop this," Keita pleaded from his place on the ground next to his hurt friend. The dorm leader and the others tried to pacify the angry blond as well. Spectators were gathering around them murmuring words of astonishment and curiosity.

Naruse tried to shake off his companions' hold on him while continuing to verbally attack his downed opponent. "Honey is precious. Don't you realize that? If you can't treasure him, then you shouldn't be with him." He finally stopped struggling against the swarm of hands and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. The anger disappeared and his expression grew concerned as he stared down at the slumped figure of the passive freshman. "It's not just me. I know others have noticed it too, how much honey's changed in the last couple of weeks, how depressed he seemed."

He turned to the dark-haired man next to him. "You've noticed it, haven't you Shinomiya?" The dorm leader frowned, suddenly finding himself in the spotlight and not appreciating it. He looked away without responding, his actions giving a silent affirmation to the question. That was all Naruse needed. "There, you see? Even the dorm leader knows it. As do many others around here." There were several shuffling of feet.

Kazuki was silent and still. Keita put his arm around his friend's shoulder in concern. He tried again to persuade the tennis captain.

"You've got it wrong, Naruse-san. It's not all Kazuki's—"

"Maybe honey needs to be with someone else," Naruse brushed off Keita's objections, not quite finished with his own rant. There were a couple of gasps but the entire cafeteria was silent now, unable to intercede. "Someone who'll treat him right. Someone who'll make him happy like he deserves."

The blond upperclassmen shook his head and continued. "Ever since the two of you became close, he's started to lose the sparkle in his beautiful eyes. My honey has changed. He barely smiles anymore."

The room was as quiet as a crypt, the silence serving to amplify the man's ardent words. Even Keita fell silent, unable to make a dent. Naruse sighed. "You know, Endo, I thought he would be fine with you since he seemed to like you so much. Even though you're a bit odd, I believed you were a decent guy."

He paused and his green eyes flashed.

"I guess I was wrong."

"That's enough, Yukihiko," a deep voice finally intervened.

Niwa Tetsuya strolled into the middle of the little gathering, his presence authoritative and imposing. At once, the focus of the room shifted and everyone stirred as if coming out of a daze. All eyes were on the king as he walked up to the tennis captain, dwarfing him.

"Back off," the brunet said, "and go get that hand taken care of immediately. You're a tennis player, that hand is your life. Everyone else, show's over. Get to class. Now."

That was all it took.

The injured captain had no intention of arguing, having said what he had to say, and turned to leave the cafeteria trailed by his club members. The terrible twosome twins scrambled after his group as well, anxious to watch over their senpai. Shinomiya acknowledged the king with a tired nod and then walked off escorting a shaken artist. The crowd dispersed quickly until the only ones left at the scene were the king, Keita, Kazuki, and a few late eaters, the latter bunch doing their best to mind their own business lest the king got on their case.

Niwa turned to the small redhead who was fussing over his blond friend's busted lip. He smiled. "Keita, you should go to class, too."

"But Kazuki—"

"He'll be fine. I'll look him over and make sure nothing's broken." The tall senior placed a hand on Keita's shoulder reassuringly. "Alright?"

Keita hesitated, but a familiar hand grasping his own got his attention.

"I'm okay, Keita," Kazuki said, giving a weak smile despite his swelling lip. He was sitting up, leaning on one arm and using his other to comfort the boy. "Something like this…" he pointed to his lip, "is nothing. You hurry on to class."

"But—"

"It's fine. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Are you sure, Kazuki?"

"Hai."

After a moment, Keita gave a reluctant nod. He stood and bowed to the king. "Well then, please take care of him, Ou-sama."

"Aa."

With another lingering glance at the blond, the redhead shuffled off. Kazuki sighed when the younger boy left his side. He may have said all that to reassure his friend but the truth was that his head was still reeling from the blow, and he was certain that getting to his feet right then would result in another round of face-meet-floor, this time with no help from Naruse-san. Letting Keita see something so pathetic was not appealing to his manly ego. What little remained of it.

Well, this was a brilliant way to start off the day. He wondered what his late grandfather would have to say about his sorry predicament; that is, if the old man wasn't turning over in his grave laughing.

A hand appeared before Kazuki's face, rousing him from his thoughts, and he raised his head to see the king hovering over him. The tall man was grinning.

"Congratulations, Endo. You are now a real man."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Saionji Kaoru sat on the plush office settee sipping his afternoon tea from his favorite teacup, his posture as neat as a board. His eyes were closed in deep concentration, a thin line making its home between his brows.

Omi glanced over at the preoccupied queen from his place at the computer. "Is something bothering you, Kaoru?"

"Mm." The treasury leader opened his eyes, his green gaze thoughtful. "It's nothing."

"Nothing, except perhaps a certain tired, over-worked chairman we both know."

"So you noticed, too."

Omi turned his chair to face the other. "It was hard not to notice, even though he tries to keep up a composed front. Are you worried about him?"

"Worried? I wonder." Kaoru squinted, looking into the teacup as if it held answers. "Since the vice chairman's dismissal, his workload's doubled. He lives two separate lives as the chairman and a student, and on top of that he's trying to cultivate a budding relationship. Then there's the little matter of the internal security breach we find ourselves with now. If he doesn't take care he'll start making mistakes, and that's the last thing we need right now."

Omi tilted his head. "That may be so, but I think you're just as worried about the man. Am I wrong?"

Kaoru lowered his cup to his lap and frowned. "Maybe not. Strange, for a time I used to harbor nothing but resentment towards him for holding our trespass over our heads in order to make use of us. I thought him a cruel man who enjoyed watching people squirm."

"Used to?"

"Aa. Somewhere along the way, he tethered my trust and reeled it in before I even realized. His actions, his policies, his convictions, they all spoke of a leader who cared about the students' needs and their futures. He was always on our side. It may not be appropriate to call him a friend, but..." he paused and lifted his cup to his lips again, unsure how to finish the sentence.

Omi smiled. "Perhaps in time. Until then, we'll continue to support him as his right and left hands to the best of our abilities."

"But the fact remains that if he continues on as he does, the weight of his responsibilities will bury him. He may be a Suzubishi but he's still only human."

Omi regarded his regal friend silently for a moment. Then he stood up and made his way over to the settee to sit next to the rose-haired man. Placing a hand on the other's shoulder, he fingered the silky hair that rested there. Kaoru raised his brow in question.

"You've always been soft-hearted, Kaoru-chan."

"Omi, you know I don't like being called that." Omi gave him an affectionate look.

"You don't need to worry so much. Contrary to his appearance the chairman is a strong, level-headed individual. I have every confidence in his ability and judgment. If he feels he is becoming a hindrance, he'll be the first to hold himself accountable and act accordingly."

"Matters of the heart can dull even the sharpest minds."

"We can help him sharpen it again."

"The chairman can be stubborn when he feels like it."

"So can we. And it's two against one."

The frown left the queen's face as he thought about that. Then a faint smile appeared as he placed his cup down on the coffee table and reached up to grasp the fingers fluttering near his face.

"Your unwavering resolve is truly admirable, Omi."

"I'm just a man who realizes how lucky he is to be near someone who is important to him." He turned his hand slightly and captured the other's. Kaoru's eyes softened. "I owe everything to the chairman. Even though I broke the law, he took me in and kept us together. I will forever be grateful to that man."

"I suppose in the end, his _punishment_ wasn't really punishment at all."

"Perhaps a subtle second chance cleverly disguised as blackmail."

Kaoru gave the other hand a squeeze and brought their joined hands down onto his lap. They enjoyed a comfortable momentary silence in each other's company. They may have been close friends since childhood, but their bond grew stronger with each passing day.

Playing with Omi's fingers absently, Kaoru slowly shook his head, bringing them back to the dilemma at hand. "That man may be a little too soft for his own good. His future will be hard being who he is, when he steps into his destined shoes."

"If the shoes don't fit, then you exchange them." Kaoru looked taken aback at the swift straightforward statement. "No one's future is set in stone, Kaoru. If he's strong enough and surrounded by supportive friends, I believe the chairman will be able to mold even his own substantial destiny."

"I see." Kaoru quirked a brow. "When did you become so wise, Omi?"

A small chuckle. "I believe it was when I was born."

* * *

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Heaven and all its characters belong to SPRAY.**

* * *

Kazuki unwillingly allowed himself to be dragged down a deserted hallway. Despite his assurances that he was quite capable of fixing himself up, the other man was hearing none of it.

It was still too early to see the school nurse—the nurse's office didn't open until eight-thirty—so the first aid room was their consequent destination. Now, in cases of emergency the nurse could be called in, but Kazuki highly doubted being socked in the face would constitute an emergency. In fact he was sure the new nurse, a jovial elderly woman named Kasamatsu Hana, would burst into laughter and he wasn't keen on that idea.

The room was in essence a large walk-in closet next to the clinic which was accessible by teachers and certain key members of the student body, namely the dorm leader, the club presidents, and the office aid. Kazuki, being the chairman, also had a key but that little detail seemed to slip through the cracks as he was towed along like some helpless child.

"Ou-sama, you really don't have to help me. I'm perfectly fine," Kazuki said, trying to extricate his wrist from the other's grip. He didn't know why he even bothered; as usual, resistance was futile.

In the face of such overwhelming strength, one really couldn't do much. Despite Kazuki's commendable attempts to pull in the opposite direction, the brunet didn't even falter. The blond wasn't sure if he should be more frustrated with his own lack of strength or with the other's seemingly superhuman powers.

When the big man spoke his voice was tinged with laughter. "Lighten up, Endo. There's nothing wrong with accepting a little help. Besides, I promised Keita I'd look you over."

"But I agreed just to mollify him. I was going to clean up in the restrooms."

"You need to treat your injury."

"I don't have much time. I have class, too."

To the blond's chagrin, the big man just started laughing. "_You_ have class, huh? That's rich, Endo. You're a real funny guy."

Kazuki frowned, feeling slightly miffed. Refusing to give up, he decided to try another approach. "Don't you have to go to class?"

"Not until later." All of a sudden, the king stopped and spun around in place. The abrupt one-eighty was unexpected after all of Kazuki's ineffective efforts to stop their dogged forward advance, and it nearly caused the closely trailing blond to ram his sore face into the bigger man's chest.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Kazuki stopped himself just in time. When he raised his eyes, he noticed the tall brunet sizing him up and felt himself shrink under the intense scrutiny. He sensed something akin to disapproval in the piercing blue gaze which, much to his dismay, made him want to duck and hide inside a nearby classroom. While he contemplated doing just that, the big man reached over and drew the blond's face up toward his. Kazuki held his breath and blinked self-consciously as he was studied.

"Yukihiko sure did a number on you," the brunet observed, his warm breath wafting over the other's face. "Didn't know he had it in him, that rascal." He lightly touched a spot on the wounded cheek. "You're developing a nice little bruise here. That'll turn an ugly purple later. Other than that it looks like your lip's cut, but it's not too bad. It'll swell up a bit before it goes, so we should get you an icepack."

His gaze shifted to meet the blond's owlish stare and he grinned, causing the smaller man to blush. "Lose any teeth?"

Kazuki tried to shake his head and winced. "No, thank god. Just a splitting headache." Niwa nodded.

"I'm not surprised. Well, lucky for you there's some good ol' friendly narcotics in that room. They'll fix you right up." He leaned back and held up a hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four."

"Try again."

"It's four. I'm telling you, there's nothing wrong with me."

"All right, all right. Just making sure." Niwa shoved his hand in his pockets, a wily grin lingering. "Let's keep going, shall we?" The tall man gave the blond a wink before sauntering down the hall, clearly expecting the other to follow without objection. Kazuki gave in and went along. The mere mention of pain killers was enough for him to acquiesce.

When they made it to the room, the king opened it with his key and pulled the other inside, shutting the door behind them. Kazuki heard the pills singing his name. It was quite possibly the most heavenly sound he had ever heard. Eager to locate the chorus he skimmed the shelves like a hawk searching for prey, but before he could take one step, he was grabbed and immobilized against the closed door by a pair of powerful arms.

Kazuki tensed up and did a double take when he caught sight of the change on the king's face. Gone was the charismatic grin; in its place was pure business. A face often seen just before someone was hurled bodily over the king's head.

"All right, Endo. You're going to tell me what the hell that was all about," Niwa demanded, his deep voice also devoid of jest. "And why the hell you're looking so anemic these days."

"I—" Kazuki began, nonplussed and disappointed to have encountered this latest hurdle when the precious medicine was so near. He mentally went through his options but found he didn't have many. Niwa Tetsuya wasn't the type to budge until he got what he wanted, so it was probably going to be in the blond's best interest to submit to the bigger man. It would provide the swiftest means to meet his own needs as well. And in the small likelihood that it was possible, Kazuki absolutely did not want to get hurled after having recently gotten clobbered.

Sighing, the blond nodded. "All right, I'll do as you say. But first, may I please have some aspirin?"

The king stared at him for a moment in contemplative silence. Then, he released his prisoner and walked to the rear of the room. Grabbing a small white bottle, he twisted it open and doled out a few pills before coming over to hand it to the waiting blond. Almost greedily, Kazuki plucked them from the man's hand and downed them all at once, only to groan and grab his head at the jarring movement.

"Slow down, Endo. Here, wash it down." Niwa grabbed a small bottled water off another shelf and offered it, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder to steady him.

After taking a couple of swallows, Kazuki sighed and leaned back against the door, shutting his eyes. Soon, the blessed relief would come. Now that the initial shock had faded, he could feel his lip puffing up and the cut starting to sting. Thankfully, the bleeding seemed to have stopped but the metallic aftertaste it left coupled with his empty stomach was making him nauseous. He wondered if he looked as bad as he felt.

The feel of something cool pressing against the corner of his mouth made his eyes pop open. The king was dabbing at Kazuki's cut with a wet cloth he had produced from somewhere.

"Now don't be such a baby, Endo," Niwa scolded lightly when the blond cringed and tried to slink away. The mood had eased up a bit and a corner of the brunet's mouth lifted. He captured Kazuki's chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted the injured face toward him again, carefully wiping at the dried blood. The room fell silent while the cleaning took place.

Kazuki stood as still as possible, unused to being fussed over. Even his own mother hadn't been allowed to fuss over him so during his childhood because Suzubishi boys were never babied. It was an understood rule. Endo Masami's only duty after giving birth to and nursing her child was to quietly play the part of the noble lady of the house and leave the development of the boy to private tutors.

When little Kazuki fell down, he picked himself up and cleaned himself off. When he had a nightmare, he stayed awake cowering in his own room. When he got a cut, or a bruise, or a bloody nose, he took care of it under the discreet supervision of his mother and other female servants. He had been taught self-reliance and the importance of keeping a stiff upper lip ever since he could walk, yet here he was getting the full kiddie treatment as an adult. And from the king no less.

Funny, he never figured the king to have such a maternal side.

It was a strange feeling. But thinking it over as he eyed the brunet immersed in his current task, Kazuki decided it wasn't a bad strangeness. Actually, it was kind of nice being taken care of; it gave him a sort of warm, fuzzy feeling he'd never felt before.

Niwa came to notice the look the blond was giving him and gave a small cough. "Don't get the wrong idea here, Endo. I'm only doing this because I'm curious." He quickly checked his work and nodded in approval.

"Curious?"

"Aa." Done with the cleaning, Niwa moved to the shelves again to search for something. Kazuki remained where he was with his back against the door. "Yukihiko's as pugnacious as a puppy. I want to know what made him snap like that." Finding what he wanted, the brunet came back holding a tube of some sort of topical medicine. Using his index finger, he dabbed a small amount on the cut.

Kazuki crinkled his nose. "Apparently, me," he replied with a humorless chuckle. "Believe me, if I had known Naruse-san capable of something like this I would've steered clear."

Putting the medicine away, Niwa started rummaging through a small electric cooler in a corner, mumbling something to himself. Kazuki watched the big man move about like he owned the place. The king certainly knew his way around the first aid room which implied he'd utilized it on more than one occasion. It made the blond wonder exactly what the man did everyday.

"I didn't see everything," Niwa admitted, pulling out an ice pack and wrapping it in cloth, "but I heard the tail end of Yukihiko's words. Everything revolves around Ito Keita, doesn't it?" He came over to place the pack against the blond's face, instructing the latter to hold onto it.

Kazuki didn't answer as he accepted the cool bundle and proceeded to slouch against the door, but his tight expression answered the other's question. Releasing a heavy sigh, Niwa shook his head and ran a hand through his thick hair.

"That kid's certainly got skills. There's no question he belongs in this school." Seeing the question in the blond's eyes, he flashed a quick smile. "The talent to make people fall for him."

"That's not funny, Ou-sama. Look at what happened to my face, or to Naruse-san's hand. What if Naruse-san really hurt himself?"

"He brought it upon himself. Shouldn't you feel a certain satisfaction at that?"

Kazuki hesitated, shifting the cold pack. "I guess I should, but I don't. Regardless of how it looks, I am at fault here, not him."

Blue eyes gleamed with interest. "Yeah? What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. It was Keita. Naruse-san was defending Keita."

"Okay, what did you do to Keita that made Yukihiko play the gallant hero?"

Kazuki looked down, suddenly finding his feet very interesting. His free hand gripped the side of his pants.

"I made him sad."

That was obviously not what the king was expecting to hear. A fusion of incredulity and disappointment flitted across the brunet's face as he gaped at the smaller man. He looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or frown.

"What? Wait a minute, Endo. Are you telling me Yukihiko attempted to break both his hand and your face because Keita was feeling _sad_?"

"Um, hai, but it's not as trivial as it sounds," Kazuki answered defensively. "You must've noticed the change in Keita, too."

Niwa waved it away. "I noticed, yeah, but I wasn't too worried. Everyone has his ups and downs. Keita isn't the type to brood for long. I figured he would bounce back to his old self in no time, especially with you there for him."

Kazuki winced at the other's words. The king doth think too highly of him. "Um, that's the problem. I wasn't." He paused, recalling the events of the past month with a pang. "During the last few weeks I broke several promises, canceled a number of dates, and spent very little time with Keita. I did the unthinkable and let my work get in the way of our relationship. To say that I wasn't being much of a boyfriend would be an understatement."

A frown lined the blond's forehead as it all came rushing back to him. "It was one thing after another, and I couldn't do anything except apologize, so much that it became tiresome. Even though Keita was always very understanding and forgiving, I could tell he was hiding his true feelings."

"After a while, Keita became…distant, almost like a shell of his former self. And when we did manage to see each other, there'd be this tension between us as if we couldn't speak openly anymore. Like we'd become strangers. The precious little time we had together would be wasted on polite words and ceremony. It was awful. I didn't know what to do to fix it or what I could say to make it all better. I hit upon a wall that had formed between us without me even realizing it. Keita's a sweet and wonderful person. He deserved better than this. As for his decision, I can fully understand why he made it. I mean, if two people are in a relationship—"

Kazuki broke off with a start, suddenly realizing with a not so inconsiderable degree of embarrassment that he was starting to ramble in the presence of the king. It had been so long since he last spoke so openly with another about his personal issues that it resulted in him yapping like some high-strung teenager loaded on caffeine.

Niwa was unusually quiet, waiting for the blond to continue without interrupting him. Taking a steadying breath, Kazuki checked himself before continuing. "Well, that was our unexciting routine for several weeks, right up to about two nights ago."

A wistful look appeared in the blond's eyes and a small smile graced his swollen lips. "Actually, we don't have to worry anymore. Keita…he and I came to an understanding. Things are going to get better. Soon, everyone will see his familiar smile and hear his genuine laughter. He'll return to being his happy self again." Straightening up, Kazuki made a fist against his leg. "In fact, I'm going to make sure of it."

The vow to devote his life to the little redhead's happiness was one promise he was not going to break. Even if he had to do it from the sidelines from now on.

Niwa didn't respond right away as he watched the blond clench a resolute fist with the hand that had been anxiously clutching a pant leg. Then, after a momentary rumination, the brunet buried his own hands in his pockets and moved to stand side-by-side with the latter, leaning his back against the same door.

His deep voice was thoughtful. "You really care about Keita, don't you?"

"More than anything."

"Aa, I see that. Enough to let Yukihiko pummel you."

Kazuki gave a small chuckle at that. "I think Naruse-san jumped the gun a bit. He didn't know Keita and I had already decided to…relax our relationship. But I suppose he'll be hearing the good news soon enough."

Niwa tilted his head down toward the smaller man, mischief dancing in his eyes. "I'll be happy to relay the message. I was going to have a little chat with Mr. Hero regarding his earlier actions anyway."

"Please, Ou-sama, don't be too hard on him. I'm actually kind of grateful to him."

"Hell, I never knew you were such a masochist, Endo."

"I—I'm not. It's just, I don't want him to be punished for this. He was only trying to protect Keita."

The taller man stared at him hard. Then he let his head fall back against the door with a thump, letting out a groan of disappointment. "Well, if that's what you want, I guess there's no choice but to overlook this incident."

Kazuki rested his own head against the door in relief.

"Thank you, Ou-sama."

"Don't be so relaxed. We're not done yet."

Kazuki turned his head, studying the other's face. What else did he want?

Niwa turned toward the blond as well, but this time his eyes reflected a hint of worry. "I don't mean to pry, but something else is going on with you, Endo. You're half the size you used to be and you weren't that big to begin with. You don't look like you're eating or sleeping well, and I haven't seen you on the school grounds much lately. Is everything all right?"

The blond's lips parted in surprise. The sudden concern for his well-being caught him off guard and it made his habitual resolve waver. Something about the king made Kazuki want to forget himself and speak freely about…well, everything. It wasn't just because the man knew his secret—there were several who did—but he was finding Niwa Tetsuya surprisingly easy to talk to, and the present concern seemed genuine.

After Jin-san left, the young chairman had been left with no one to turn to or to confide in, the former male nurse having been his only confidant and sounding board when he needed advice or to let off steam. It turned out the older man had only played the part and had harbored nothing but anger and resentment toward his former protégé, but even so, Kazuki recalled only good memories whenever he thought of him. To the young Suzubishi, Matsuoka Jin had been the closest thing to a real friend, aside from Keita. Everyone else in the administration treated Kazuki only as a respectable, high-profile executive and kept a strict professional relationship with him.

His casual friendships with his school peers were another story. Except for a small trusted few, no one knew his real identity and Kazuki was inclined to keep it that way. If the students found out the truth, they might start to tread lightly around him and he didn't want that. When his classmates saw him, he wanted them to see him as a person, not as a position.

The decision for secrecy may have made for a lonely existence but it was doable because he was constantly distracted by back-to-back meetings, classes, and projects. Keeping busy took his mind off his solitude.

However, with nothing to divert his thoughts at the current moment, he was forced to feel every bit of the aching loneliness dredged up by the unexpected question. Staring into the concerned face of the king, Kazuki realized just how much he missed being able to share his burdens with someone. To have that precious connection. To have a friend.

But something held him back.

Struggling not to let his tattered emotions overtake him, Kazuki covered it up with a lopsided smile. "Hai, it's nothing to worry about. I just had a lot on my plate these past few weeks."

"Right, and I'll bet nothing on that plate was edible."

"Well…"

Niwa shook his head. "You know, Endo, even though you're the chairman and all, I still feel like your senpai. If you ever feel the need to talk to someone, my door's open."

"I-I really appreciate that," Kazuki answered, touched by the sincere offer. The brunet grunted his approval. Turning to grab the doorknob, he gestured with a tilt of his head.

"Come on. We're heading back to the cafeteria."

"Eh? Oh, I think I'll pass."

"Like hell you are. We're getting some food into your scrawny system before you keel over. I won't hear any excuses."

The brunet grabbed Kazuki's wrist again. That was getting to be a common occurrence. "Keep that pack against your face for a while. The swelling should go down soon." He pulled the blond out of the small room, locking it behind them. Resigned, Kazuki looked up at the taller man.

"Um, thank you for everything, Ou-sama," he said, feeling himself blush again and not knowing why.

"Aa. I expect to be fully compensated, though. You still owe me drinks."

"I see."

"Don't fret, Endo. I'm a reasonable man. A couple of drinks, a couple of lap dances, that's all I ask." He laughed at the expression on the blond's face and pulled on his wrist, herding him back towards the cafeteria again.

This time Kazuki willingly allowed himself to be dragged. Although the thought of food made him feel weak, he was feeling a buoyancy to his spirits that he hadn't felt in a long time. Along the way, the brunet chatted animatedly about his favorite haunts back in town while the blond listened in attentive silence. And, when a small smile crept onto the latter's lips, it was swiftly concealed with the ice pack.

* * *

To be continued.


End file.
